In celebration of its fifty-fifth anniversary, the Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC) hosted a book launch for The Rise of China: Three Essays on China’s Economy and ‘Soft’ Power, and a series of lectures in September 2015.

Published by the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies as Volume 11 of the Chinese Studies Journal, the book The Rise of China features three essays by Dr. Ellen Palanca (Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics and Chinese Studies Program; Director, Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University), Dr. Joseph Anthony Y. Lim (Professor, Department of Economics), and Prof. Benito O. Lim (Professor, Chinese Studies Program). The authors’ research was supported by a grant they received from the Merit Research Awards (MRA) Program of the Institute of Philippine Culture. With funds from a Ford Foundation grant, the IPC MRA Program provides grants on a competitive basis to faculty and researchers of the Ateneo de Manila University who submit outstanding research proposals that advance theoretically grounded social science research and offer conceptual insights on Philippine culture and society.

The IPC and the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies (PACS) jointly sponsored the book launch that was held on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at the Faber Hall Function Room of the Ateneo de Manila University. One of the highlights of the event was a lecture on “China’s ‘New Silkroad Strategy’ and the West Philippine Sea” delivered by Mr. Chito Sta. Romana, PACS President, Professorial Lecturer at the University of the Philippines (UP) Asian Center, and former Beijing Bureau Chief of ABC NEWS (USA).

On September 18, 2015, Dr. Ma. Elizabeth J. Macapagal (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology), Dr. Cristina J. Montiel (Professor, Department of Psychology), and Dr. Jose Jowel P. Canuday (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology) presented their research findings on “The Bangsamoro Social Identity,” another research project funded by the Institute of Philippine Culture through its Merit Research Awards Program. The research aimed to explore the different ethnopolitical and religious social identities in Muslim Mindanao, and how these identities influence support for the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The research forum was held at the Case Study Room of the Social Sciences Building, and was co-sponsored by the IPC and the School of Social Science (SOSS) Research Cluster on Peace, Social Justice, and Democratic Governance.

As a conclusion to the week-long celebration of its anniversary, the Institute of Philippine Culture, in partnership with the SOSS Research Cluster on Knowledge and Social Innovation, held a research forum on “Mobilizing Social Science Knowledge for Policy Formulation and Community Development” on September 23, 2015, at the Faura Audio-Visual Room. The forum was moderated by Dr. Czarina Saloma Akpedonu  (Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology (DSA); IPC Research Associate; (Convenor, SOSS Research Cluster on Knowledge and Social Innovation), with talks by Prof. Mary Racelis (IPC Research Scientist; Professorial Lecturer, DSA), Mr. Michael Pante (Faculty, Department of History), and Ms Angela Desiree Aguirre (IPC Research Associate). In line with the IPC’s long and rich history in doing “engaged research,” the speakers shared their experiences on how empirical social science research with the Institute of Philippine Culture has influenced policymaking and improved living conditions for marginalized sectors of Philippine society.